Adjustable spacer bar for multiplehead electric shaver



1965 J. CHRISTENSEN ETAL 3,166,842

ADJUSTABLE SPACER BAR FOR MULTIPLE-HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed Sept. 15,196 2 Shee tS-Sheet 1 ATTORNE y 1965 J. CHRISTENSEN ETAL 3,156,842

ADJUSTABLE S PACER BAR FOR MULTIPLE-HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER Filed Sept. 13,1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l hlllh "mi N [H /0. l'HHHh.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,166,842 ADJUSTABLE SPACER BAR FQRMULTEPLE- HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER James Christensen and David Hartman,Lancaster, Pa,

assignors to Schick Electric Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept.13, 1963, Ser. No. 308,721 3 Qiaims. (Cl. 30-431) This invention relatesto electric shavers of the kind having a head unit presenting two ormore shearing surfaces separated by a vertically movable spacer bar, themovement of the bar, up or down, serving to admit more or less of theskin to the space between the adjacent shearing surfaces and therebyvarying the closeness of the shearing action of such surfaces. Theinvention has for its general object the provision of improved means formanipulating or adjusting the position of the spacer bar.

In its preferred form, the invention comprises the combination of avertically movable spacer bar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacerbar with freedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar,cam means carried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adaptedto raise the spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of theslide bar, a shaver case wall overlying one end of the slide bar, aspacer control member rotatably mounted in the said case wall andaccessible for manual manipulation from the exterior thereof, and a stemprojecting from the rear of said member through the said case wall andhaving a threaded connection with the said end of the slide bar, wherebythe latter is moved longitudinally and the spacer bar thereby raised inresponse to rotation of the control member.

The invention will be readily understood from the description of thepreferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

P16. 1 is a perspective view of the upper or head end of an electricshaver incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the spacer bar and related components bywhich it is adjusted;

FIG. 3 is a broken out and partially sectioned plan view of the saidcomponents, assembled;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on the line 44 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectionon the line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

For purposes of illustration the invention is shown applied to awell-known type of electric shaver having mounted in its upper end ashearing head unit incorporating three heads, generally designated 1, 2,3, with intervening spacer bar elements 4, 5. A usual, this tripleheadunit is disposed and suitably secured in a recess formed by upstandingWall portions of the case structure or of what serves as an extension ofit. The drawings are simplified by the omission of details of the headunit construction and its mounting in the case, all of which are Wellknown and form no part of the present invention.

As will be seen, the spacer bar elements 4, 5 are the upper or free endsof a single, U-shaped spacer bar generally designated 6 in FIG. 2 andcomprising a base 7 having upstanding arms 8, 9 disposed on each side ofand vertically movable with respect to the central head 2. A suitablespring means, such as the leaf spring 10, bearing on the upper side ofthe base of the spacer bar and the under side of the central head isbiased to urge the spacer bar downward.

Adjacent and in this instance beneath the spacer bar is a slide barwhich is free to move longitudinally. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it isseated in a shallow recess 16 formed in the case portions 17, 18.

One of the aforesaid bars carries appropriate cam Bidfifidl Patentedden. 26, 1965 means for engagement with the other bar in such fashionthat the spacer bar will be raised, against the bias of spring 19, inresponse to longitudinal movement of the slide bar in one direction and,of course, lowered by the spring when the slide bar is movedlongitudinally in the opposite direction.

In the form illustrated, the cam means comprises'a separate piece 20having depending cam portions 21 and upstanding headed lugs 22. by whichlatter it is engaged in appropriate openings 23, 24 in the base 7 of thespacer bar and thereby interlocked against longitudinal movement withrespect to the spacer bar. As will be seen, the upward adjustment of thespacer bar is efiected by the engagement with the depending cam portions21 of the lips or down-turned end edges 25, 26 of the slide bar slots27, 23, when the slide bar is moved to the right as viewed in FIGS. 2and 5.

Movement of the slide bar is efiected by means of a manually rotatablemember mounted adjacent one end of the bar and having a threadedconnection with it.

As shown, the rotatable member comprises a wheel 3t) convenientlylocated adjacent the head in a recess in the case wall 31 which overliesthe right hand end of the slide bar. The Wheel is held against axialmovement by the flanged sleeve 32 which is press fitted or otherwisesecured to the wheel from the inner side of the case wall. Carried bythe wheel and projecting through the case wall is a threaded stem 33engaged with a nut member 34 suitably dimensioned and shaped to seat onand between the arms 35 formed at the adjacent end of the slide bar.

In FIGS. 5 and 7 the spacer bar is shown in its low or downward positionand it will be seen that when the wheel 30 is rotated clockwise, itdraws the nut member 34 and slide bar to the right and the latter camsthe spacer bar upward toward and eventually into its uppermost positionas shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the nut mem her then abutting the rear faceof the adjustment wheel.

As stated at the outset, the vertical movements of the spacer bar serveto position it to admit more or less of the skin to the space betweenthe adjacent shearing surfaces and thereby vary the closeness of theshearing action of such surfaces. In this instance, the wheel beingexposed and accessible at all times, the height adjustment of the spacerbar may thus be changed with maximum convenience to suit the needs ofthe particular user.

In the light of the foregoing description of the preferred form of theinvention, the'following is claimed:

1. In a multiple-head electric shaver, the combination of a verticallymovable spacer bar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar withfreedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, cam meanscarried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted to raisethe spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar, ashaver case Wall overlying one end of the sliidc bar, a spacer controlmember rotatably mounted in the said case wall and accessible for manualmanipulation from the exterior thereof, and a stem projecting from therear'of said member through the said case Wall and having a threadedconnection with the said end of the slide bar, whereby the latter ismoved longitudinally and the spacer bar thereby raised in response torotation of the control member.

2. In a multiple-head electric shaver, the combination of a verticallymovable spacer bar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar withfreedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, cam meanscarried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted to raisethe spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slide bar, ashaver case wall overlying one end of the slide bar, and manuallyoperable means forrmoving said slide bar, said means'connected with theslide bar and extending through said case Wall for manipulation from theexterior thereof.

3. In a multiple-head electric shaver, the combination of a verticallymovable spacerbar, a slide bar disposed adjacent the spacer bar withfreedom to move longitudinally with respect to the spacer bar, earnmeans carried by one of said bars and engaging the other and adapted toraise the spacer bar in response to longitudinal movement of the slidebar, a manually rotatable member mounted adjacent one end of the slidebar and connec- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS3,056,198 10/62 Ream 30-43.l

0 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

1. IN A MULTIPLE-HEAD ELECTRIC SHAVER, THE COMBINATION OF A VERTICALLYMOVABLE SPACER BAR, A SLIDE BAR DISPOSED ADJACENT THE SPACER BAR WITHFREEDOM TO MOVE LONGITUDINALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE SPACER BAR, CAM MEANSCARRIED BY ONE OF SAID BARS AND ENGAGING THE OTHER AND ADAPTED TO RAISETHE SPACER BAR IN RESPONSE TO LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE BAR8 ASPACER SHAVER CASE WALL OVERLYING ONE END OF THE SLIIDE BAR, A SPACERCONTROL MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN THE SAID CASE WALL AND ACCESSIBLEFOR MANUAL MANIPULATION FROM THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, AND A STEM PROJECTINGFROM THE REAR OF SAID MEMBER THROUGH THE SAID CASE WALL AND HAVING ATHREADED CONNECTION WITH THE SAID END OF THE SLIDE BAR, WHEREBY THELATTER IS MOVED LONGITUDINALLY AND THE SPACER BAR THEREBY RAISED INRESPONSE TO ROTATION OF THE CONTROL MEMBER.